J.D. Overdrive – The Kindest Of DeathsI have been looking forward to this one since I heard and reviewed their 2013 opus, Fortune Favors The Brave. Whereas that album was chock full of southern-fried goodness with strong elements of stoner and some groove involved in it, conversely they seem to have gone the other direction here as this album is more of a modern groove sound to it, in the process the amount of Southern style metal is really dialed back. There is still some swagger and some good licks here but the promise seems to have diminished quite a bit, as they have become one of the many in the flock of screamy angst driven new era metal bands that seem to be the par for the course. The album picks up a bit in the second half but overall it has to be seen (at least by me) as a bit of a letdown, with the band seeming to at least partly conform with their sound. The near-closing track, A Painful Reminder is very apt as it is one of the best tracks on the album and it really is a painful reminder on how they used to sound. I can only hope that this was a momentary sidestep and that the next album shows them exploring their roots and bringing back their six-pack swagger to full form.Choice Tracks – The Fury In Me, A Painful Reminder, Dull Knives And Dead Friends, The Greater Good(7)https://www.facebook.com/jdoverdrive?fref=ts